


Peter Nureyev is Not Abandoning The Crew: A deep dive into the Themes of The Junoverse

by EdilMayHampsen



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: I worked really hard on this one, This is an essay about Betrayev and why I don't think it'll happen, and I dove deep into the themes of the show to proove it, enjoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29231418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdilMayHampsen/pseuds/EdilMayHampsen
Summary: There are serious holes in arguments about Betrayev, so I wrote an essay. Starting at the surface with Man in Glass and diving as deep as Authorial intent and overarching themes. A good read for anyone interested in deeply understanding cannon and textual analysis.
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31





	Peter Nureyev is Not Abandoning The Crew: A deep dive into the Themes of The Junoverse

#  Introduction

If you’re not in the know, Peter Nureyev is a central character, and love-interest in The Penumbra Podcast’s Junoverse series, an audio twist on the noir detective story. Widely beloved for his air of drama and his deeply human characterization, Peter and his arc are arguably the single most motivating factors for our protagonist, Juno Steel. With the notable exception of the events of season two, Peter has, directly or indirectly, caused all notable plot points in the show.   
I am an aspiring author, Penumbra enthusiast, casual red stringer, Juno-kinnie (in the joke way) and a debate kid looking for practice, so trust me, I'm an authority. When you understand the weight of Peter’s effect in the Junoverse, you can understand my interest in his actions and theories surrounding such, so when I saw floating around about Peter’s inevitable (and sometimes irredeemable) betrayal of the crew, it got me thinking. I’ve already written one post on the topic, but his will be my extended and fully sourced reasoning as to why the exact opposite is true:

He will neither betray nor abandon the crew of the Carte Blanche. Kabert, the collective name for the two makers of the show, are capable co-writers with a strong grip on their themes of personal growth and companionship. Though suitably dramatic for Peter’s character, this end for him has few other virtues; It is neither narratively nor thematically satisfying. All evidence I have seen in favor of Peter’s betrayal simply does not hold enough weight to overturn the evidence to the contrary. Therefore, despite what mistakes Peter will inevitably make as a person and a character, Peter will stay. 

##  Other relevant information

This Analysis is going to go over all the evidence I have prepared. Note that this will have spoilers for the entirety of the Junoverse. That is every episode out as of the time of writing this, up to 3.22 Juno steel and What Lies Beyond (part 2).

This Analysis includes mentions and/or discussions of most if not all themes included in The Junoverse including: Depression, abandonment, substance abuse (drugs & alcohol), unreality (quotes from Shadows on the Ship), deterioration of physical health (radiation poisoning) , death, murder, and themes of Capitalism. If A trigger should be added to this list, or you would like to hear about the triggers in more detail, you know where to contact me.

* * *

#  Counter Arguments

##  Season One isn’t God

Most of the evidence I have seen used to prove Peter Nureyev’s eventual betrayal stems from season one, because that’s the point at which Nureyev— or Rex Glass— were at their most individual. 

Preceding these arguments, though, I would question the weight of foreshadowing from season one, by quoting the creators.

From the season 1 Q&A approximately 43.5 minutes in (1/43B):

> ####  _ KANER: _
> 
> ####  _ And to — to give you a sense of how our planning process works — right now, as of right now just after the first season has ended — right? We’re going to begin releasing the second season in March — where we’re at right now in our creation process is we have, like, the first three episodes of season two written. We have a pretty clear outline of the seasons as far as both continuous storylines, the Juno one and the Second Citadel one, and some — so we know broadly where it’s going to go — and we have some specific ideas that we’re fitting into place.  _
> 
> ####  _ I will also say that I feel I have a very long term sense of how the full Juno narrative is going to go,but that could take four seasons or twenty, you know, and a lot of things could happen in between, and I, you know, can’t set it in stone right now because so many things are going to change. So that may never come to pass. But I — it’s helpful to me right now to say — well I think that over the course of the entire show that this is where we’re going to go. _

So Kabert may have had a general idea of the details of season 3 when they had already finished season 1, but there’s reason to doubt season one has much long term foreshadowing beyond large plot beats and setting up conflicts for later, like establishing Juno’s depression. 

From the season 2.1 Q&A approximately 1:07 in (2.1/1:07):

> ####  _ KANER: _
> 
> ####  _The struggle is real as far as mythologizing season one. Like, it’s really hard not to think of everything that happened and everyone who was introduced in season one as being, like, as being it. As being the most important and being the weightiest but that fact is, this is an ongoing show._

Furthermore, we have in-text evidence that shows the dubious reliability of this particular Q&A. See this quote from 1/36:

> ####  _ KANER: _
> 
> ####  _I think we can go ahead and say there’s not going to be tumory...tumorous repercussions. It's not there anymore, it’s just— he doesn’t have an eye._

But this is somewhat contradicted in Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond (part 1),  3.21:

> **_ VESPA: _ **
> 
> **_ Yep. Still got weird stuff in your blood. _ **
> 
> **_ JUNO: _ **
> 
> **_ Fine, whatever. What’s the prescription, Doc? Weird stuff in a pill? _ **
> 
> **_ VESPA: _ **
> 
> **_ Uh, not sure there is a prescription. _ **

So take season one with a grain of salt.

##  Evidence One:

Kevin in the season one Q&A says, on the nature of the episodes, “Now we’re more bummer or a big bummer.”

This could be used to argue that it’s a reasonable expectation the show will end on a low note, though this is nowhere near a conclusive argument.

##  Evidence Two:

From 1/33:

> ####  _ KANER: _
> 
> ####  _ I can not say whether he, whether Nureyev, will be back but we will hear from him again in at least some form, which relates to some upcoming things that we have that we haven’t talked about yet so I’m just going to tease that. _
> 
> ####  _ VIBERT: _
> 
> ####  _ Secret plans…  _
> 
> ####  _ KANER: _
> 
> ####  _ But he will— he will in some way appear, so you have not seen the last of him. I can tell you for now whether he will be back but that’s what I got. _

Here they sort of imply they may not have intended to bring Peter back. Though this was asked and answered in the context of season two, it could be interpreted to mean the larger show. By this logic, if Peter wasn't meant to reappear, is it a stretch for him to disappear again?

##  Evidence Three:

I’m combining two points of evidence into one because of how similar they are in nature.

Firstly, Peter in Juno Steel and the Final resting place 1.18 says:

> ####  _ NUREYEV:  _
> 
> ####  _I’m typically the one disappearing, not the one left behind._

Although it should be acknowledged that the larger quote is:

> _** JUNO:  ** _
> 
> _** Where are the bodies? ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV:  ** _
> 
> _** They appear to have... vanished.  ** _
> 
> _** JUNO:  ** _
> 
> _** (PAUSES) ** _
> 
> _** That ever happen to you before? ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV:  ** _
> 
> _**I’m typically the one disappearing, not the one left behind. ** _

And earlier in that episode, it’s explicitly stated that Peter disappeared for Juno’s benefit:

> _**J** **UNO (NARRATOR):** _
> 
> _** The pistol pulls back, just a millimeter. I feel the hand on the other end of it flex. When Nureyev disappeared, days ago now, he promised me he’d be back before it was too late. Well, buddy, clock’s tickin’ - where the hell are ya? ** _
> 
> _** SOUND: TWO LASER SHOTS, A GRUNT, TWO THUMPS.  ** _
> 
> _** SOUND: RUSTLING AND FOOTSTEPS. ** _
> 
> _** JUNO:  ** _
> 
> _** That was cold, killing the two of them so fast.  ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV:  ** _
> 
> _** Apologies, Juno, but I didn’t think diplomacy would be quick enough for this rescue operation.  ** _
> 
> _** SOUND: MORE RUSTLING, SOMETHING CLATTERS. ** _
> 
> _** JUNO (NARRATOR):  ** _
> 
> _** He pulls off the mask, and there he is: Peter Nureyev, looking like a knight in stolen armor. I don’t want to admit it, but... it’s a weight off, seeing him again. ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV:  ** _
> 
> _** If you’d like to swoon and fall into my arms, now would be an excellent time.  ** _

And secondly, from Peter Nureyev and the Angel of Brahma (Part Two), 1.17:

> _** NUREYEV: ** _
> 
> _** (WHISPER) ** _
> 
> _** Damn it, damn it! Mag, what in the hell do you expect me to… ** _
> 
> _** (STOPS) ** _
> 
> _** When trouble arises… I disappear. ** _

But this is quoted from a flashback as far back in time as Brahma, Peter’s origin story as a young man. He wasn’t saying this about leaving a person or people behind, but on a mission trying to evade some guards in order to save what he believed to be his childhood home, a place he felt rooted to . This only proves his capability to be loyal. 

This quote has no bearing on analysis of Peter’s Loyalty to the Aurinkos, but if it did I believe it would work far better as an initial point to contrast how Peter planned to stay with Juno in 1.18, rather than foreshadowing on how he’ll leave. [See this post about how a similar contrast happened with Peter’s real name. ](https://guess-who-has-an-obsession.tumblr.com/post/641583678570577920/relistening-to-peter-nureyev-and-the-angel-of)

#  Development of character

There’s a mass of foreshadowing surrounding this topic. I could break down the nature of the romantic attraction between Juno and Peter, or platonic relations between Peter and the rest of the Aurinko Crime Family, I could speculate on Peter’s mentioned “First love”, or quote a gazillion offhand lines like a CW fan in the slash fandom, but instead I’ll break down the foreshadowing in the show in three points: The crucial test that is Juno Steel and the Man in Glass , the parallels between the stories of Juno and Peter, and finally highlighting speculations on Peter’s whereabouts in Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond (part 2) that act as alternatives to the betrayev theory.

##  Juno Steel and the Man in Glass

When I first began compiling the argument, a specific scene from man in glass was my first and only piece of evidence. I'm not too shy to say it, the rest of this essay exists only to strengthen my point and cover my bases, because this argument is a conclusive one. 

For background, Man in Glass is the episode during which interpersonal tensions between Juno were at their peak. At no other point in the series had they harbored as much mutual frustration, not even when Juno walked out on Peter. Keep that in mind as you read the next passage from 3.2:

> _** NUREYEV: ** _
> 
> _** Ms. Zolotovna, I-- ** _
> 
> _** NOVA: ** _
> 
> _** Hush, now. Don’t deny it, sugar: every time I’ve come anywhere near you you’ve run off with your tail between your legs, hidin’ your face like a boy with a schoolyard crush. I want this, you want this ** _
> 
> _**... ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV (NARRATOR): ** _
> 
> _** The calculations occur automatically: when you live as I have for so long, clawing for payout after payout, the mathematics of income become second nature. And if Juno's readings on this woman are true, if she really can't keep track of her own finances... then this would not only be a payout today. If I were to play my cards right, I could bleed this woman of every investment she has, work her for years of payouts, decades, and finally remove that constant worry that has followed me across the galaxy as close and insistent as my own shadow. ** _
> 
> _** And that is so very tempting. I am not as young as I once was. Every year I must retire another con that relies on younger men’s charms; every month my skin and options slacken. The decades of late-night research and eyes-wide-open have pulled more than exhaustion from me. It feels as if they have reached into the very marrow of my bones and siphoned away something fundamental -- something I won't ever get back. ** _
> 
> _** And in the face of that... how can I possibly say no to Nova Zolotovna? ** _
> 
> _** MUSIC: ELECTRONIC MUSIC FADES IN. ** _
> 
> _** SOUND: GALA AMBIENCE FADES IN. ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV: ** _
> 
> _** Married by morning, you say? ** _
> 
> _** NOVA: ** _
> 
> _** Sooner if you like. I'll give you anything you want, dumplin’, I'll give you Saturn on a string of pearls. Just kiss me. ** _
> 
> _** MUSIC: ENDS. ** _
> 
> _** SOUND: GALA AMBIENCE FADES. ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV (NARRATOR): ** _
> 
> _** We never really change, I tell myself.  ** _
> 
> _** SOUND: APPLAUSE. ** _
> 
> _** And Juno will understand that, and he will understand why I have to do this. ** _
> 
> _** MUSIC: ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN BACKGROUND. ** _
> 
> _** SOUND: GALA AMBIENCE IN BACKGROUND. ** _
> 
> _** And then I am thinking about Juno. About his righteous indignance. About his flickering smile. And more than that: I am thinking about the reasons it has come so easily for me to ignore him, to be cruel to him. Because he is a different man from the one who left me in Hyperion City. Because he has changed without me -- and I can hide in that distance and pretend I never felt for him at all. ** _
> 
> _** Across the room, I see him spin past the Globe and then it's gone, and a feeling swells inside me that is terrifying in its size... and for once, I do not file it under "For Future Consideration." ** _
> 
> _** … [Editors note: there’s a large skip in time here so that this passage doesn’t get too long. If you'd like to experience it, though, check out the episode Juno Steel and the Man in Glass or [this animatic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnsVad8WEbA). ] ** _
> 
> _** SOUND: JUNO AND NUREYEV’S FOOTSTEPS WALKING AWAY. ** _
> 
> _** SOUND: A COMMS BEEP. ** _
> 
> _** Captain Aurinko. We're nearly at the door. And we're going to need that ride as soon as possible. ** _
> 
> _** BUDDY (COMMS): ** _
> 
> _** I'll get Jet right on it, darling. Buddy out. ** _
> 
> _** NOVA: ** _
> 
> _** (IN THE DISTANCE) ** _
> 
> _** Mr. Dauphin! Wait! ** _
> 
> _** SOUND: JUNO AND NUREYEV STOP WALKING. ** _
> 
> _** BUDDY (COMMS): ** _
> 
> _** What is that? ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV: ** _
> 
> _** I hope never to find out. ** _

There’s a reason I show so much of this passage, though in reality it is somewhat longer than I show here. Peter’s doubts, debts, feelings towards Juno, they are all addressed in this episode but especially in this passage. What you have just read is Peter Nureyev’s entire character arc in a bite-sized portion.

We have irrefutable, direct, inside-of-Peter’s-head, cannonical evidence that when Peter was at his most frustrated with Juno, and when he had the instant resolution to his life’s constant worry at his fingertips Peter still chose Juno .

Sit in that, for a second. I feel like the fandom hasn’t internalized that enough. 

Now, find some way to tell me that in any episode in the future, when we know Juno and Peter have been talking, “writing poetry” (which I choose to interpret literally), spending time together in close quarters, and for Juno, at least, attending therapy, that there exists in cannon now any kind of stress on Peter greater than that Man in Glass hung over his head.

This episode was Peter’s Temptation — For my Hero’s Journey fans out there— He had entered this strange new world of support and companionship, and here he was with the opportunity to throw it all away. And he didn't. Our hero overcame. 

Peter Nureyev is not a stupid man, and even is he was, he’s a man in love. He wouldn’t give up Juno for the world and he sure as hell wouldn’t give up Juno for less. 

(Though not directly relevant here, if you’re curious as to the title of Man In Glass I highly recommend [this very interesting post](https://drumkonwords.tumblr.com/post/642157929209954305).)

##  Parallels between Juno And Peter

Is Peter Nureyev depressed?

In gathering my evidence I popped around to just about every Junoverse-centered group where I am not yet  considered a nuisance, and asked this one question. I myself was on the fence. I am still on the fence. In fact, I’m not even sure if this applies to my argument, but the reason the topic interests me so deeply is because of how Kevin talks about Juno’s depression in the show, 2.1/51: 

> ####  _VIBERT:_
> 
> ####  _ In the Juno stories, we’re looking for a central vehicle of progression for him, a central conflict to chew over. In season one he had an external conflict to take that place, Right? He had Nureyev to think about in terms of his own personal development.  _
> 
> ####  _ In season 2, he’s kind of trying to find himself, the search has to be more internal, so I’ve been a lot more explicit about — with each episode I try to make sure that by the end of the episode I have a good sense of how he has changed in some way.  _
> 
> ####  _ The binary of… I think stories about people who have depression become too binary, and evaluation of them becomes too binary because it’s just “Well are you better or aren’t you?” And it’s— if that’s how you’re summarizing better you’re never gonna be better cause you’re never stacking up to your own expectations. _
> 
> ####  _ So what I’ve tried to do is with each episode, considering Juno’s own personal arc, it’s like — Alright, he has a hoard of individual personal demons to fight, and at the end of an episode maybe he does not learn how to beat a demon, but he at the very least learns it’s there. _
> 
> ####  _... _
> 
> ####  _ Because the other thing is that recognising your own demons is not the same as beating them. And a lot of it is about making the same mistakes over and over and over again until you realize why those mistakes are getting made.  _
> 
> ####  _... _
> 
> ####  _ KANER: _
> 
> ####  _ I think it probably is really frustrating to people sometimes to be like “What? I thought he was better. Like, what is he doing? He’s doing this thing again." But Kevin is trying to make it really realistic, I think. Juno Keeps screwing up and I think he will get better at managing it... _

The most difficult part of my analysis for this essay was deciding whether Juno and Peter exist to reflect or to foil each other, which hinged on determining if Peter was in this same depressed category as Juno narratively or not. The answer I came up with in the end is “meh, both, and neither." Juno and Peter are opposite and parallel. It's like how, when you look in a mirror, left is right and right is left, but it’s still you . 

The overarching parallel is this: _A person with an intimate knowledge of criminality and sharply-honed set of skills falls victim to the propaganda of their mentor, who claims to want the best for the people. In assisting their mentor they get tied up in a conspiracy to go against the will of the existing leadership over their “hometown”, but in the end it is revealed their mentor is willing to use any means necessary to benefit their aims, to the detriment of the hometown population. The person witnesses the death of their mentor, and then goes on to reverse the negative effect of their work, soon before leaving their hometown._

Brahma is Newtown. Mag is Ramses. Peter falls back on his old habit of running away, and Juno falls back on his old habit of stewing in Hyperion. 

Taken as face value, this is evidence that Peter will follow that same path as Juno, having his own sort of season 2 adventures. But with a detective as our lead character, we know to look deeper . If we’ve already explored the effects of a relapse into unhealthy coping mechanisms with Juno in season 2, that’s less of a reason for us to explore it again. It becomes boring and repetitive. 

The distinct difference between Peter and Juno here is that Peter doesn’t have the freedom to run away from his support system like Juno ran to the Cerberus Province (an oversimplification of that plot, but one that works for the purposes of this argument) whereas Peter is stuck with them in the void of space. He’s anchored himself to Juno with his name, Buddy and Vespa know about his debts and his calling card, he's given Jet his favorite car, and he likes Rita (who doesn't) so Peter is well and truly stuck . I believe that instead of revisiting a lowpoint, The next chunk of Peter’s arc we’ll see is the unique kind of struggle that is relapsing and recovering while the people around you are there to make sure you don’t fall to rock bottom.

The precedent that these themes exist in-universe? The very first scene in Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond, 3.21, where Peter offers this very service to Juno:

> _** NUREYEV: ** _
> 
> _** Juno? ** _
> 
> _** Love, do you plan on getting out of your bed at any point today, or should I expect a repeat of yesterday’s performance? ** _
> 
> _** JUNO: ** _
> 
> _** (INTO HIS PILLOW) ** _
> 
> _** What’s the point? Nothing out there worth the trouble. ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV: ** _
> 
> _** There’s always me. ** _
> 
> _**... ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV: ** _
> 
> _** But knowing you, something to do would help, wouldn’t it? Perhaps... ** _
> 
> _** ...a little mystery to solve? ** _
> 
> _** JUNO: ** _
> 
> _** Don’t condescend to me. ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV: ** _
> 
> _** Too late. ** _

Though I disagree with the overall conclusions of [this post](https://keplercryptonomica.tumblr.com/post/642125916509765632/hi-yes-im-back-with-more-penumbra-thoughts-the) (drawing a parallel between Buddy and Ramses instead of Juno and Peter, which I dislike because of what that says to Buddy’s character) I have to give it credit for finding that needle-in-a-hay-stack similarity in the following lines of dialogue (which both happen to be in the second episode of a new season, coincidentally):

From Juno Steel and the Man in Glass (part 2), 3.2:

> _** BUDDY: ** _
> 
> _** An enduring moral core, coupled with a strong desire to excise that core completely. Demonstrated, of course, by a consistent pattern of pro-bono work followed up by a lot of con-bono -- like having a heart embarrasses you. ** _

From Juno Steel and the Kitty-Cat Caper (part 2),  2.2:

> _** RAMSES: ** _
> 
> _** You’re the hero Private Eye at heart -- and it embarrasses  ** _
> 
> _** you. ** _

Call me overly-optimistic if you will, I think this parallel is exactly what makes Juno and Peter work so well. What I suspect began their attraction in the first place (as I joke in [this post](https://drumkonwords.tumblr.com/post/641710478446444544/on-one-hand-i-think-theres-something-so-powerful)). Though Vespa says it better than I could in one of her lines to Juno from 3.21, Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond (part 1):

> _** VESPA: ** _
> 
> _** Hurt can always sniff out hurt, Steel. Doesn’t matter if it’s wounded animals or wounded hearts. ** _
> 
> _**These parallels to Juno are another reason why I am so certain of Peter’s ability to heal and change.** _

##  What About What Lies Beyond part 2

The latest episode has left us with many questions, and you are not reading this essay for any of those answers. However, I acknowledge how incriminating Peter’s absence in 3.2 could seem. Though my strong suit is analysis and not theory, I’ve compiled a short list of posts I quite agree with that provide alternatives for Peter’s whereabouts that aren’t betrayal.

  * [There exist cool and valid arguments Peter is there in what lies beyond part 2](https://prydon.tumblr.com/post/639497313608417280/what-lies-beyond-pt-2-theory)
  * [Or that the ruby took Peter](https://dancinbutterfly.tumblr.com/post/639481371788820480/im-sure-everyone-has-already-made-this-guess-but)
  * [Or that his disappearance is using his skills etc to help the family ](https://theashesofthefirststar.tumblr.com/post/639507953915936768/my-first-instinct-this-episode-was-to-be)



I'd also like to posit that if the appeal 0f "Betrayev" is a surprise twist, the means doesn't achieve the ends. There is nothing surprising about hoping someone will change only to prove they've gotten worse—we all know someone like that and malice is a far better word for surprise. 

What would be shocking, though? To discover the extent to which a newfound character trait or habit applies, to put a character to the test yet again, continuing the cycle of temptation , letting the audience experience the joy of watching someone grow before their eyes.

#  Consider the creator: Going Meta

Let it be clear, death of the author does not apply here.

"Death of the Author is a concept from mid-20th Century literary criticism; it holds that an author's intentions and biographical facts (the author's politics, religion, etc) should hold no special weight in determining an interpretation of their writing."

From:  [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathOfTheAuthor](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathOfTheAuthor&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1612580600940000&usg=AOvVaw1vxpl7fS1eUu5quNzW2TVG)

Focus on the word interpretation.  When the Junoverse storyline comes to a close, we are free to imbue the story with as many extra layers of nuance as we so please, we can do that with the first and second seasons now, even, but we must not make the mistake of thinking Kabert's intentions no longer shape the story. As long as Junoverse is still airing, the intention of the writer is the main factor in predicting where the show we'll lead.

In the first sections, I acted under the assumption that Kabert want to write well, to connect their foreshadowing to their twists and give a weighty sense of cause and effect. (I would like to assure all readers that I am by no means claiming my argument is the only way to write the story well, just that it is the only way that, with my limited perspective, I have been able to conclude.) However, this is not the only desire we must consider when it comes to predicting where the story will go, this section focuses on all others.

##  Does tragedy belong in the Junoverse

The short answer: I say no. 

The long answer reveals a failing on my part. You see, I wasn’t at all afraid of Buddy’s death when I listened to Heart of it All , because I remember having recently listened to some meta where Kabert stated something along the lines of “They’ll be fine in the end.” But I listened to all three of the Q&As while I gathered evidence for this essay — and I admit I may have missed something, brain fog is inevitable when reviewing something like five hours of audio — but I did not discover anything as conclusive as this quote. 

I do, however, have a quote from Kaner, 2.1/3:

> ####  _ KANER: _
> 
> ####  _ I think, for me, for right now, for picking one aspect of the show that is very satisfying it’s that when I consume other media, or when I am unable to find media that satisfies me, and there are things that made me really angry and things that I’m looking for that I’ve been so let down by, I can just go and say “Oh! Well, I’ll just put it in my show.” and then be satisfied. _
> 
> ####  _ So, whenever I see a movie or a show and I really regret the way that It turns out, or I feel that someone didn’t do justice to a character, or I feel that there should have been a certain kind of representation, or I’m really tired of a particular trope and I’d like to see that turned on its head, then I just go to Kevin and I’m like “put that in this one.” _

And to support the weight of Kaner’s desires from the show affecting the narrative, from 2.1/7:

> ####  _ VIBERT: _
> 
> ####  _ A lot of the way it ends up shaking out it that Sophie has really really big, really excellent ideas, and the thing that I am better at is the ground level making the plot tic. _
> 
> ####  _ KANER: _
> 
> ####  _Yeah, the nuts and bolts and like, the plot beats and like, piecing things together, like, i could never tell you how to get from point A to point B, you know, like, how would we get there even? I would have no idea. I’m just like "well it just needs to happen so make it happen." And Kevin is sort of miraculous like that._

There is room for interpretation in these arguments, I’ll be the first to admit it, but Kaner hasn’t shown any partiality to angst that leads me to believe that’s what they’d want to see with their ending, especially when the “tropes” they mention could very easily be “bury your gays.” 

This brings me back to Heart of it All . If the angst-riddled tone that would be brought on by betrayev is what the show is trying to achieve, why not kill Buddy Aurinko? It was well set up, she was risking herself knowingly, as a character she’s largely fulfilled her purpose of helping Juno get back to his most capable state and leading the crew through the heists. If angst was the goal, that was the perfect opportunity.

But instead of taking it, Kabert used that episode as in-narrative proof that that isn’t what this show is about, which holds more weight than any word-of-god quote could. In the same way that Man in Glass  was a test of Peter’s choices, Heart of it All  was a test of Kabert’s.

This holds true across the entirety of TPP, not just Junoverse — with the minor exception of 1.03 Shaken , which I forgive for being a oneshot in the horror genre. When Main Characters are defined as "any character with screen time across more than one season," there has been no main character death across the entirety of TPP. There have been no sad endings. With Kabert’s infallible foreshadowing, it’s more than a bit late in the game to introduce that theme, especially when the “cartoonish”-ness is a major appeal of the show. 

However, I’m not quite ready to give up hope of finding that happy ending quote. If anyone reading this knows what I’m talking about, feel free to send me the quote and source anywhere you can reach me. My asks are open. 

##  True to Theme: The Pitfall of Othering

Junoverse, in short, is a story of unionization presented through the lens of found-family.

All of our protagonists have been stepped on before:

Buddy grew up in a solar prison, but she let everybody go . Her story is one of choosing to side with the oppressed people and breaking from her privilege. But she hasn’t lived above the system either. In small ways:

Juno steel and the Man in glass , 3.1:

> _** BUDDY: ** _
> 
> _** Now. I am about to do something very important for you all. It is the greatest service my mother ever did me, and she did it every single morning when she woke me up for school: she burst my ego. ** _

Or in large:

Juno Steel and the Time Gone By (part 2) , 2.18:

> _** BUDDY: ** _
> 
> _** I served eight years in the Balder Central Penitentiary after our heist fell apart, watching the faces of the new inmates for her... but she never came. Then I was out. I got my hands on the money I’d saved for myself and bought a ticket back to the Cerberus Province, as promised. And I  Waited. ** _
> 
> _**... ** _
> 
> _** BUDDY: ** _
> 
> _** Everyone experiences the symptoms of radiation sickness in a slightly different order, darling. Over time one might develop hallucinations, paranoia, memory loss, uncontrollable moods... or conditions a bit more visible. ** _
> 
> _** JUNO (NARRATOR): ** _
> 
> _** Then Buddy Aurinko pulled back the hair covering the left side of her face, and I saw what “conditions” she meant. From the cheek up, that side of her face looked like a dead body’s. Not just burned, like the man on the street or the people wearing those Debtor’s Tags – more than that. The skin was gaunt, shriveled, gray. Pieces of it were missing. And in the middle of that ruins sat something like a camera lens, ringed in yellow –- and when her other eye blinked, a mechanical shutter clicked across it, sideways. ** _

Vespa’s victimhood is more clear. Juno Steel and the Time Gone By (part 1) , 2.17:

> _** JUNO (NARRATOR): ** _
> 
> _** Green-hair looked back, panicked, her eyes darting. She pulled so hard her sleeve came up... and I saw what was on her wrist. ** _
> 
> _** A Debtor’s Tag, for indentured servants. Just like that Outer Rim woman in the market. And hers had something written on it: “VESPA I.; Five.” ** _
> 
> _** “Vespa” was in a cold sweat. She looked like she was going to be sick. ** _
> 
> _** VESPA: ** _
> 
> _** Not real... you’re not real... ** _
> 
> _** BUDDY: ** _
> 
> _** Vespa! It’s you! I thought you were— ** _
> 
> _** VESPA: ** _
> 
> _** (SHOUTING) ** _
> 
> _** You’re not real! Get out of my head! ** _

Jet relied on substance abuse, which links him to pharma-corps, the main antagonistic force of the show.

Juno Steel and the Tools of Rust (part 2),  3.6 :

> _** M'TENDERE: ** _
> 
> _** Is that where the "Unnatural" in "Unnatural Disaster" came from? A little something extra to keep the pulse up? Bravery in a bottle, tenacity in a tincture? ** _
> 
> _** JET: ** _
> 
> _** The process of my recovery suggests that I would have struggled with addiction eventually. It was in the structure of my brain. ** _
> 
> _**... ** _
> 
> _** JET (NARRATOR): ** _
> 
> _** I knew what the Ruby 7 is asking me. It wanted to know if I wanted this bomb. If I would make the same choice again, if it meant my survival. And I did not know the answer. ** _
> 
> _** But this was what I feared in the Ruby 7. This car knew me — the version of me I thought was dead. And it offered what that man wanted. ** _
> 
> _** And if I accepted this gift, what would Ruby offer me next? Alcohol? Stimulants? Painkillers? Each made the Unnatural Disaster more effective. They made him feared. They made him uncontrollable. If the time came and I had to let that man out again, because the Ruby 7 knew I wanted to... would I do it? ** _

Juno grew up in the poor economic conditions of Hyperion City’s Oldtown, Juno Steel and the Day that Wouldn’t Die (part1),  1.7:

> _** JUNO (NARRATOR): ** _
> 
> _** I hear every city’s got a place like Oldtown, and Hyperion City is no different. Oldtown was terminal – infected by so much crime and poverty that Hyperion decided long ago the only thing to be done was to keep it comfortable until it passed quietly. ** _
> 
> _** My name's Juno Steel. I'm a Private Eye. And this is the neighborhood where I grew up. ** _
> 
> _**... ** _
> 
> _** RITA: ** _
> 
> _** Oldtown, huh? Didn't you used to live there? ** _
> 
> _** JUNO: ** _
> 
> _** I wouldn't call it living. ** _

Rita remains a mystery, though with “Homemade bombs just like mom used to make” we can assume she struggled with the trauma of resisting that system, and how that puts strain on one's life. 

Peter Nureyev was likely orphaned because his parent dared to resist that Brahminian government.

Peter Nureyev and the Angel of Brahma (part 2) :

> _** MAG: ** _
> 
> _** (WHISPER) ** _
> 
> _** The Reactor. ** _
> 
> _** (BEAT) ** _
> 
> _** Look at it. Untold lives, like your father’s, taken by the lightning bolts of this self-proclaimed god. We destroy a deity today, Pete. ** _
> 
> _** MAG: ** _
> 
> _** I may have said things that I invented, Pete, but I have never lied to you. Everything, everything I’ve said… it’s all been in service of the truth. New Kinshasa has to be stopped. That is absolute. For life to be worth living for those down below, this city has to be destroyed. ** _
> 
> _**... ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV: ** _
> 
> _** But… why would you lie? People already think it’s terrible, they know it has to be stopped, they-- ** _
> 
> _** MAG: ** _
> 
> _** I lied because of how you’re acting this moment, Pete! Because in the face of uncertainty, a revolution crumbles. History is complicated. Facts take years, decades to prove absolutely, and in the meantime, people are killed.  ** _
> 
> _** (BEAT) ** _
> 
> _** Did I ever know your father? No. Am I certain there was a man like him, somewhere on Brahma? Completely. And I know that there will be more like him if we don’t stop this city now. ** _

And even if Peter's parents did die innocently, the state did nothing to help house him, instead focusing on extreme security and surveillance required to rule it’s people with an iron fist, forcing Peter to forgo childhood in favor of resistance. A task that shouldn’t be asked of any young person. 

Even Sasha Wire, who grew up alongside Juno, lost her sister to the heinous lack of regulation at The Oldtown Observatory. She joins Dark matters, and yet…

From Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond(part 2), 3.22:

> _** SASHA (NARRATOR): ** _
> 
> _** Juno looks at each of his criminal partners, but it isn’t until he looks back at me that I see what my gravest error really was: ** _
> 
> _** Because I recognize his stare as it passes from Ilkay, Rita, Aurinko, Sikuliaq. It’s the same look I only ever saw him cast at Mick and myself, our family of hardship and circumstance. And when he turns to me, I expect his old and bottomless rage. ** _
> 
> _** But for a moment he gives me the same look as the rest. I am still his family. And that’s when I truly understand how much Juno Steel has changed. ** _

Even Nova Zolotovna’s evil stems from ignorance rather than malice, and while this evil isn’t excused it can be understood. Also notice the themes of support, and stopping your friends from making bad decisions.

From Juno Steel and the Man in Glass (part 2) , 3.2:

> _** JUNO: ** _
> 
> _** You know what would happen if I tried to blow a billion creds on my own statue? Rita would stop me. Probably you and Jet and Buddy and, hell, we’ll invite Vespa, too — you all would jump out of the goddamn woodwork to stop me. Beat the hell out of me, probably. So why didn’t anybody stop her?  ** _
> 
> _** NUREYEV: ** _
> 
> _** Because they never stop her from doing anything. ** _
> 
> _** JUNO: ** _
> 
> _** Exactly. She has the Globe because she's the cash cow for the people we're after. But she doesn't know a goddamn thing about it, and she couldn't even name one pharma-megacorp she's actually invested in. She's never even heard of the Board of Fresh Starts. And honestly, I can't tell what's worse, you know? The people who built those goddamn debtor's tags they use in the Cerberus Province... or people like her, who just have money and throw it wherever they have to in order to make more of it. ** _

The Junoverse paints a setting where everyone, every last person— note that billionaires aren't people— has a chance to heal and improve, and to realize the best way to fight back is to do it together. By taking the curemother prime, the Aurinko Crime Family has quite literally seized the means of production. It doesn't get more collective action than that.

So what would it say, thematically, if Kabert allowed room for the idea that some people just don’t get better, no matter how much they went to, no matter how much they try, no matter how good their support system, they stay in a bad place— What would that say if Kabert allowed that idea into their show? There’s no notable difference between Juno and Peter to justify that Juno could improve while Peter remains hopeless. What is the distinction based on? Luck? The flamboyance of your presentation? The Law? I think if you’ve read this far you know Junoverse, and The Penumbra Podcast as a whole, draws no correlation between law and morality. 

Is this the lesson Kabert wants to tell their Audience?

##  Morality: An Illegitimate Argument

Morality in fandom gets... _weird_ , to say the least. I am hesitant to offer a moral reason behind my arguments because I do not want to imply that anyone who disagrees with my argument is immoral, or, if in the end I am wrong, that Kabert as creators are immoral. 

However, I do have reason to believe that my concerns in the area align with Kabert’s concerns. See this quote from the season 2 Q&A, un-time-stamped because I have pulled it from the transcript:

[Editor's note: Out of respect, parasocial distance, and consistency, I have changed first names of speakers in the dialogue tags to last names, as well as cut verbal tics for clarity]

> ####  _SIMES : _
> 
> ####  _ Some people headcanon Sir Angelo and/or Talfryn as autistic. Do you have any thoughts on that? _
> 
> ####  _ VIBERT:  _
> 
> ####  _ That's... I'll say that we, we have not done, we've not done that intentionally. I think that in terms of head canons, like you can do what you want. I think that you can take what characters, how characters behave as evidence for, you know, what's going on inside them as much as you want. That is something that I would want to do a lot more research on also just in terms of what do our, what do our autistic fans want to see, what kinds of heroes do they want? And without having done that research, I'm very reticent to say that because I don't know the feeling- _
> 
> ####  _ SIMES:  _
> 
> ####  _ You want to do it intentionally. _

In the context of this essay, I would like to consider how this approach to representation affects my argument through the lens of Vespa Ilkay. 

Vespa Ilkay struggles with psychosis, and I do mean psychosis in the most literal way:

> _** psy·cho·sis ** _
> 
> _** /sīˈkōsəs/ ** _
> 
> _** Noun ** _
> 
> _**noun: psychosis ; plural noun:  psychoses** _
> 
> _** a severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality. ** _

And not to imply that Vespa— or any person with psychosis is somehow violent or inhumane in any way. Now, I cannot speak for people with psychosis and do not attempt to speak for them, but from the limited reading I have done, it seems wrong to prove Vespa’s delusions correct. 

We know that Juno trusts Peter, and Juno, being the detective, is the best at reading people out of the members of the Carte Blanche. We even know that Vespa trusts Juno’s judgement to a significant extent, because of Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond (part 1) , 3.21 where she goes to him for advice about her upcoming marriage :

> _** VESPA: ** _
> 
> _** Cool off, moron, I’m not trying to start a fight. I’m just... ** _
> 
> _** I’ve been thinking about trust, I guess. What it means to know someone. Or how much you have to know before you’re sure... ** _
> 
> _** JUNO: ** _
> 
> _** ...you’re ready to spend the rest of your life with them? ** _

Vespa even expresses her trust for Peter directly in Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond(part 2) , 3.22:

> _** VESPA: ** _
> 
> _** I don't like Ransom. But he's not with Dark Matters. Too reliable. And that's the last thing I'm saying, so you might as well let me go now. ** _
> 
> _**And spoken about the difficulty of when delusions meet reality here, from Juno Steel and the Shadows on the Ship (part 1),  3.9:** _
> 
> _** VESPA (NARRATOR): ** _
> 
> _**The hardest thing about “visual and auditory hallucinations,” like the medical handbook calls them, isn’t when you hallucinate a thousand spiders climbing out of the bathtub drain. It’s when the spiders are  actually there — and you’re letting them crawl all over you cuz you think they’re just in your head.** _
> 
> _** You can’t know what’s real, is my point. This conversation I’m having — is it actually happening? Will I get that faraway look from everyone around me, that keep-your-distance-from-the-wounded-animal look, if I try to bring it up later? ** _

So I question why Kabert would, after Vespa's arc learning to trust Peter, decide turn all of that around knowing what effect it would have on Vespa’s sense of trust and general wellbeing. 

Because I am by no means qualified to speak in any length about the subject, I leave that question an open one.

#  Conclusion

Peter Nureyev is not abandoning the crew. It does not fit the foreshadowing, the themes, or authorial intent as far as we can tell, and it would not improve upon the arcs of any characters, if anything it would set them back. I leave you with these points to consider as your form your own opinions on the matter, and eagerly await the next installment of the show with the rest of the fanbase. 

Let’s agree now: Whoever's right, No promises to not gloat. 

##  So What's Next For Peter Nureyev 

When I say Peter’s Betrayal and Abandonment won’t happen, I’m by no means claiming Peter won’t mess up. As I’ve been writing this, I’ve thought a lot about the Man in Glass section of this essay, where I asked myself, “What could Peter possibly value more than the solution to all of his ifes problems if he chose Juno over all the money?” 

And then I realized the answer was in the question. 

I know I’m not the first to guess that Peter may “betray” the crew in order to keep them safe, if he’s threatened and that’s the choice he must make, but from what I have seen I am the first to posit that that choice he makes (and I refuse to call acting in a groups best interest a betrayal in any form) will ultimately be harmless. 

Where we are in Man in Glass (part two), Peter is isolated from his support network. If he were threatened with the Aurinko Crime Family’s safety while on board, I don’t think he’d bat an eyelash before going to tell Buddy. The crime family is always under threat. They’re radicals and wanted people, that’s just another tuesday. However, an isolated Peter may not be in the headspace to acknowledge just how competent the group of thieves are, but I still believe what I said about betrayal or abandonment being narratively satisfying holds true. Therefore, I think the next episodes of Junoverse will go one of two ways:

  1. Peter Nureyev, shaken — not scared— and alone will be approached by an outside threat. He will believe this threat can go great harm to the members of the Aurinko Crime family, and will comply with their demands, whatever those demands may be. Peter will reunite with the members of the crime family, when literally everyone will proceed to tell him how stupid it was that he believed they couldn’t take care of himself, displaying themes of a support system not letting you fall back into old habits (narrative and thematic satisfaction!) Peter will again take his rightful place among the thieves, and they'll overcome this outside threat.
  2. Peter Nureyev, shaken — not scared— and alone will be approached by an outside threat. He will be certain this threat can do no harm to the crime family, because they can take care of themselves, and will comply with their demands, with full intent of betraying them later on. (notice that everyone has gotten a chance to do something badass this season? It’s Peter’s turn) Peter will reunite with the members of the crime family, when literally everyone will try to yell at him, but they will be cut short in a dramatic moment where Peter reveals his true motivations all along, showing themes of strong family bonds, and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone to make you support system proud (narrative and thematic satisfaction!) Peter will again take his rightful place among the thieves, and they'll overcome this outside threat. This option will likely masquerade as the first. 



The most important part of both of these possibilities is that at no point in time will the members of the crime family believe they’ve been betrayed. Peter may make a dumb decision, he make make a decision that’s brilliance isn’t immediately obvious, but that family is the thing Peter valued most in the world, and they know that for certain. There may be doubt, like how heart of it all made me almost  think Buddy was a goner, despite my certainty she would be okay, but faith will overcome doubt. They will overcome as a collective. 

The big mystery here is who would threaten Peter? The obvious answer is his debtors, but who are they? My favorite guess is one from a post I’ve lost, and I’m not keen of stealing the idea without citing my sources, but it doesn’t matter much because I can’t connect the possibility of those debtors to a threat to the Carte Blanche, or to Peter’s first love, for that matter. 

On this front the answer is simply I don’t know, I did say I am no expert theorist.

##  Room for Doubt

I will be the first to admit I do not know everything about TPP. 

I have listened to every episode of the main show, with the exception of a single Mick Mercury short, (an issue I attend to amend very soon), which includes second Citadel, Shaken, and the story of Chance and the orphans. I keep up with the tags, read analysis, and I loosely follow the creators. 

I am not, however, a member of the patreon. I cannot afford it. There is a decently high chance material or discussion from the creators posted there adds another layer of nuance to this argument I am simply not privy to. 

While I look deeply into critique and analysis of stories, I am still a novice on the subject and there may be a large pillar of writing I did not address, though I don’t believe so.

This is all to say, while I believe strongly in my own argument and have written this persuasive piece with the purpose of saying my fill and bringing more people towards my perspective, I may be wrong. 

That is okay. I only hope I have presented my view with as much nuance and integrity as I am capable of bringing to the table.

##  Disclaimer: Not Our Story

Once again I would like to state that The Penumbra Podcast belongs to and is written by Sophie Kaner and Kevin Vibert, two brilliant co-writers who we should trust to do what’s best with the tale they’re weaving. Though we may guess and speculate, they have the final say. Above all else, we must respect this.

##  Disclaimer: Purity isn’t the Point

Lastly, this essay is by no means in any way shape or form written in opposition to the creation and/or existence of betrayev fanwork.

The idea of Peter leaving fun,  it’s angsty and heart-wrenching, and you aren’t invalid for enjoying it, there just isn’t enough evidence to prove it will inevitably become cannon. But the entire point of fanwork is to explore what isn’t in cannon! So when it comes to betrayev, by all means, write on.

##  Special Thanks -- Tumblrs  


I would like to thank everyone from the Podcast Big Bang 2020 TPP chat but especially:

@Seralantisite for helping me find the episodes quotes were derived from

@shelbychild, @stygiomedusa, and @antiv3nom_arts for supporting me and listening to my ranting and raving

And @anoccultarcanehex and @gently-used-fairytale for letting me tap their brains about show details as a whole.

I would also like to thank all users whose post contributed to this essay

@zenodotus-xxiv , @theashesofthefirststar , @guess-who-has-an-obsession , @ stummyhort , @dirtytown , @prydon , @dancinbutterfly , @keplercryptonomica

And to posts that I really enjoy, but didn’t fit into any particular arguments

[Point of no return in junoverse](https://zenodotus-xxiv.tumblr.com/post/639517421911277568/the-penumbra-podcast-has-wonderful-writing-thats)

[Peter can't help but do what's morally right, and he longs for connection](https://theashesofthefirststar.tumblr.com/post/641085106766921728/theres-this-implicit-connection-between-peters)

Thank you to everyone reading this for stopping by. It was great to have you, Travelers. 

And last but not least @thepenumbrapodcast for creating a show nuanced and beautiful enough to prompt discussions like this.

#  TD;LR

Presenting evidence from offhand lines of season one to support Betrayev/ the argument that Peter will inevitably abandon the crew doesn’t hold up against any evidence to the contrary. 

Main points of evidence to the contrary include but are not limited to: Peter had the perfect chance to leave with Nova in man in glass but chose not to, Peter leaving doesn’t make sense of the themes, and TPP is supposed to have a happy ending. 

Though we must acknowledge that however strongly I feel towards my point, the show is property of Kabert, and they know more about their plot threads and behind the scenes than any of us could. We are obligated as good fans to respect the decisions they make, despite how we speculate beforehand.

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate titles:  
> \- You don't make a show like this without attracting gay debate kids like flies to honey: I am yelling  
> \- Peter Nureyev is too in love: Fuck you  
> \- SOMETIMES YOU SEE A TAKE, OKAY. AND YOU CANT SHUT UP.  
> \- OP-ED: Nothing is more powerful then being mildly pissed off and fixated  
> \- New Study Shows Edil Has Too Many Enablers
> 
> If you like the essay, consider reblogging [the post on tumblr.](https://drumkonwords.tumblr.com/post/642336203736301568/peter-nureyev-is-not-abandoning-the-crew-a-deep)
> 
> Comments, and Kudos are always appreciated, counterarguments will be enthusiastically tolerated (If you have something to say, say it! I'd love to hear it. You know where the comments are!) 
> 
> My tumblr is @drumkonwords where I sometimes scream about TPP but mostly scream incoherently. 
> 
> Joke of the day: In the season 2 Q&A, Kabert word-of-god that Peter Nureyev fufills the "hairless" part of twinkdom. Do what you will with this information.


End file.
